Megachile (Zonomegachile) durantae, Gonzalez & Griswold & Engel, 2018

Gonzalez, Victor H., Griswold, Terry & Engel, Michael S., 2018, South American Leaf-Cutter Bees (Genus Megachile) Of The Subgenera Rhyssomegachile And Zonomegachile, With Two New Subgenera (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (425), pp. 1-73 : 1-73

Megachile (Zonomegachile) durantae ,

new species

Figures 21 , 22

DIAGNOSIS: This species can be recognized by the following combination of features: head and mesosoma mainly with whitish pubescence (fig. 22A–D); mesoscutum microalveolate to imbricate among setiferous punctures; probasitarsus robust, about 2.5× longer than broad (fig. 22F); S2 with white scopal setae, S3 and S4 yellowish, sides of S3, S4, and entire S5 and S6 black. This species is most similar to M. paisa , n. sp., from northwestern Colombia. In addition to the geographic separation, it can be distinguished by the pubescence of the head and mesosoma, which is light reddish brown in M. paisa and whitish in M. durantae , n. sp. The wings in M. durantae are also slightly less yellow than in M. paisa .

DESCRIPTION: Holotype, Female: total body length 12.6 mm; forewing length 10.5 mm; head width 4.6 mm. Head 1.3× wider than long; inner orbits of compound eyes parallel or nearly so; intertorular distance 1.5× torulorbital distance; interocellar distance 2.6× OD, slightly longer (1.1×) than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 2.0× OD, 0.8× ocellocular distance; clypeus with distal margin straight or nearly so; scape 3.6× longer than broad, pedicel slightly shorter than F1, about as long as broad, F1 about as long as F2, each flagellomere longer than broad, distalmost flagellomere longest, 2.3× longer than broad. Pro- and mesobasitarsi each 2.5× longer than broad; metatibia 2.9× longer than broad; metabasitarsus 3.0× longer than broad, shorter (0.9×) and narrower (0.8×) than metatibia.

Body color black, except: outer surface of mandible light reddish brown (excluding distal margin); legs and basal sterna dark reddish brown. Wings slightly yellowish, slightly darker apically; tegula, veins, and pterostigma yellowish.

Pubescence predominantly white except: sides of clypeus and inferior paraocular area with scattered dark brown setae; outer surfaces of pro- and mesobasitarsi and inner surfaces of tarsi with light reddish-brown setae; S3 and S4 with yellowish setae; sides of propodeum and disc of T1 with scattered grayish setae; sides of T3–T6, sides of S3, S4, and entire S5 and S6 with black setae. Apical margins of S2–S4 laterally, and entire margins of T1–T5 and S5 with distinct white fasciae. Outer surfaces of pro- and mesotibiae uniformly covered with rather dense (integument visible among setae), simple, apically curved setae. Pro- and mesobasitarsi with short, dense, bottlebrushlike pubescence.

Face and vertex densely punctate (0.5–1.5× PW), punctures sparser on discs of clypeus and supraclypeal area, integument weakly imbricate to smooth and shiny among punctures; gena with shallower, larger punctures than on vertex; outer surface of mandible apically, above nearly smooth and shiny outer ridge, minutely punctate, somewhat dull. Mesoscutum microalveolate to imbricate among setiferous punctures larger and sparser than on vertex; mesoscutellum imbricate, axilla dorsally nearly smooth and shiny, both with widely separated punctures (≥2.0× PW); mesepisternum smooth and shiny with sparser punctures about as large as those on mesoscutum; metepisternum and propodeum imbricate. Terga weakly imbricate with smaller, sparser punctures than mesoscutum, punctures coarser and denser on T5; sterna strongly imbricate, coarsely punctate, punctures smaller and closer on basal sterna.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Brazil: Rondonia, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 62 km S. Ariquemes, 165 m, S10,32, W62,48, 12–22 November 1991, E.M. Fisher collector (BBSL).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors the late Silvana Patricia Durante (1965–2016), Argentinean melittologist who made many important contributions to our understanding of the South American megachilid fauna.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Collection localities for species of Megachile (Zonomegachile).

FIGURE 22. Female holotype of Megachile (Zonomegachile) durantae Gonzalez, Griswold, and Engel, new species. A. Facial view. B. Detail of clypeus and supraclypeal area. C. Dorsal habitus. D. Lateral habitus. E. Dorsal view of T3–T5. F. Outer surface of protibia and protarsus.